somerset bass hard to find

[Cloud_9]

gaday all bass are hard to come by apparently in somerset but we managed a couple , and a personal best at the same time.

Cheers Cloud 9

[Cloud_9]

pic 2

[Cloud_9]

here's a pair

[Cloud_9]

last 1
i didn't catch this 1 but this fish has had more photos today than any other fish in the lake, and its a beauty

[Fitzy]

Good fish mate. Well done.


fitz..

[BlitzBaga]

good fish, did you record tag numbers and details?

Murray

[Randall]

You have a good eye Murray!! ;D

Randall.

[BlitzBaga]

Randall

Not so much a good eye, just tagged a few in my time.

Cheers
Murray

[Cloud_9]

unfortunatly it was destined for the table, not my call though.the tag details are yet to be collected and im waiting for the info to post here.
but who ever tagged this fish didn't do it any favors the tag was in so deep you couldn't see the phone number, almost 25mm and it was ulsurated.
but thought this fish was a Cod at first
all these fish caught on tail spinners, green out fished the white.

Cheers Cloud 9

[Mr.Ocean]

nice pic, mate ;)

cheers

[Maria]

Lol Fitzy, where'd you score your avatar pic mate?

Ben

[setthehook]

Thats a top bass!!! Nice and fat. :o

[Fitzy]

Lol Fitzy, where'd you score your avatar pic mate?

Ben
A mate in the US sent it to me as a joke.
It was like someone was reading my mind.

fitz

[Smithy]

With the tag it may have been tagged as say a 25cm fish and then its flesh has just grown up along the tag - a bit like trees with wire round them or with posts in them. The idea behind tagging is to tag deep enough such that the barb locks in behind one of skeletal rays of the backbone. If it doesn't lock in they shed them much more easier. When tagging you should always give the tag a gentle tug before release to make sure it won't pop out easily. Unless you are involved in a tag shedding exercise it is a waste of time to be tagging if the tags are just going to fall out - that is not to say that the fish don't rub them off on snags or whatever.

[BlitzBaga]

cloud9

Phone the details to Bill on 1800 077 011 even if the only details you have is the location and length. Too many people don't respond to catching a tagged fish and some think they are in trouble for keeping a tagged fish. It seems a complete waste of the taggers time and efforts if tags are just ripped out and thrown away.

What Smithy is saying about growth around the tag is dead right, if there is a fish out there long enough you will only see the very end of the tag sticking out. Iv'e caught a flathead once where the tag was only just protruding, in this case I retagged the fish and highlighted on the tag details that it was previously tagged, eventually when the fish is killed the other tag details can be found.

Ulcers around the tag are normal and harmless, it is to do with the fishes defence system trying to discard/shed the tag.

Cheers
Murray